


Almost forgot what it felt like

by Mira_A_Henss



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Light-Hearted, M/M, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23970937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mira_A_Henss/pseuds/Mira_A_Henss
Summary: Happens after the events of 4x17. Betty and Archie confess about their kiss to Jughead and Veronica. Jughead meets Veronica at Pop's and they talk a little. Cheryl, Kevin, Toni and Fangs band together to help Veronica and Jughead cope and have the time of their lives.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Veronica Lodge, Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper & Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones, Cheryl Blossom & Toni Topaz, Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz, Fangs Fogarty & Kevin Keller, Fangs Fogarty/Kevin Keller
Comments: 1
Kudos: 31





	Almost forgot what it felt like

"Good afternoon, Veronica." Pop says, smiling up at her from the counter, looking up from his paperwork, well, their paperwork.   
"Good afternoon, Pop." she says, smiling even though it takes everything in her to smile back at him and hangs her coat on the coat stand behind the counter. "Why is the diner empty?"   
"Except for me." a voice says and Veronica turns around to see Jughead, in his usual booth, with his laptop open. He looks terrible with huge dark circles and tired eyes.   
"At least, I have access to concealer." Veronica thinks, grimacing.   
"Except for you." Pops says, giving Jughead a small grin and takes Veronica's hand in his. "It's just a slow afternoon. The crowd will pick up soon. Don't worry. Okay?"  
"Yeah. Okay." she says, nodding. She had only come to work, hoping it would take her mind off everything she wished she wasn't feeling. Everything she should have seen coming, if only she hadn't been busy pretending that everything was alright. That Archie wouldn't let her down, Betty wouldn't let her down. For once, in her life, she had found someone who wouldn't let her down.  
"Why don't you go sit with Jughead?" Pops asks, in a bright voice before turning his attention to his work again.  
She turns to look at Jughead, staring down at his laptop with an expressionless face and walks towards him.  
"Hi." Veronica says, in a small voice, sitting opposite Jughead and notices his burger, untouched. She would normally have been tempted to make a joke, but today she felt nothing.   
"Hey." he replies, closing his laptop and pushes it to the end of the table, not looking up at her. 

Veronica and Jughead had never been particularly close. All the time they hung out with each other was because of Betty and Archie. But, somehow, sitting in that booth, with matching expressions of heartbreak and anger, Veronica felt like Jughead was probably the only person who could understand, even a sliver, of what she was going through. To feel completely shocked by something they had seen coming, everyone had seen coming. To find, someone who you knew you weren't right for, someone who you didn't deserve, yet to love them anyway. To have them love you back, to believe that finally, you were going to get a happy ending and having it all taken away in a second, a moment, an instant.

"You do know, don't you?" she asks and Jughead looks away from her, stares outside the window at the empty parking lot and empty road outside, as though if he stares long enough, he would disappear from the booth, from her, from her question, from the answer she's waiting for.  
"Yeah." he says, in a small voice, not looking back at her and she nods.  
"How- How are you?" he says, finally looking at her and she shrugs lightly.   
"I'm okay." she says, a single tear falling down her cheek and she wipes it, hastily. She doesn't want to be weak, to be vulnerable, in front of Jughead. Doesn't want to admit that she was hurt, was hurting. That she's human too, contrary to popular beliefs.  
"Look, I'm not very good at advice but I promise, it's going to be okay, Veronica. I promise." he says, taking her hand in his and she squeezes his hand back.   
"I loved him, Jughead. This time, I really did, I swear I did. I told him that I loved him, I showed him that I loved him. I played along with his bad ideas, smiled at his good ones. Encouraged him, trusted him." she says, her eyes filling with tears. "And he let me down anyway."  
"Same here." he says, looking away again. "With Betty, it felt like a dream, honestly. I kept telling myself. This is too good, too beautiful, it can't last. It's a dream, it's going to end soon. And yet, I was blindsided anyway when it ended."  
"I don't even know if he ever loved me. I keep thinking it was all a dream, that I somehow dreamt this elaborate dream where someone loves me. Where someone just looks at me and doesn't flinch." Veronica says, looking down at the table.  
"I thought Betty was my destination. My destiny. I looked at her and something just clicked. Turns out, I was just a stop on her way to Arc- him." Jughead says, laughing mirthlessly.  
"God, we are such screw ups." Veronica says and starts laughing. Jughead looks over at her, confused before, joining in. They don't stop laughing even after Pop looks over at them, concerned.   
"Are you sure you two are alright?" Pop asks, looking at them with a worried expression.  
"Yeah, Pop. I made a killer joke. It was my fault." Jughead shouts back with a grin and Pop relaxes, slightly.  
"Can we talk about something else? I just, I don't want to think about it, right now." Jughead says, with a pleading expression on his face and Veronica nods.

So, Veronica tells him about her father, his illness, her constant ricocheting between worry and anger, how she wants him to get better and how she does not really know if he deserves to get better. Then about her business, how it's, sometimes, the thing that makes her proud, and sometimes makes her want to sell all of them and just be a teenager, for once in her life. Then about university, about how she has not planned if she wants to rent an apartment in New York or live in the dorms for a full experience. About how exciting New York is and how she knows it like the back of her hand. About her step-sister, who seems alright but she can't keep down her jealousy when she realizes her father loves someone the same way and the same amount, he loves her. If her step-sister will inherit Lodge Industries because she's older than Veronica or if she will because she's the legitimate daughter. About her worries if she can really lead the Lodge Industries, if she's prepared, if she wants to. About how she hates Honey and just wishes, would give anything for Weatherbee to come back. And Jughead listens, patiently and soon starts talking.

He tells her about Stonewall Prep, the whole story, this time. The excitement of finding out he was offered a place because of his writing, the sinking feeling when he found out he was just as much of an outsider at Stonewall as he had been in Riverdale, the joy at meeting Moose, the happiness when his teachers praised his writing, the panic when he was buried alive, the fear when he realized that everything that was happening around him was wrong, the confusion like he was in a play, and everyone knew the script except him, the joy of getting into university, of being recognized, of being seen, for what he could do, what he was and not for what he was born as, the sadness when he found out he was just a pawn in a game, much larger than himself, the almost dying, the recovering, the desperation to prove that there was indeed a game being played and he was not losing his mind, the relief that it was all finally over. Meeting his grandfather, chatting with him about their favourite books, their ways of writing a story, their ways of editing. The tapes being left on everyone's doorsteps. How Riverdale never seems to catch a break. How there's always a new mystery, a new darkness, a new story, a new villain.

Somehow, they consciously avoid mentioning the red headed guy and the blonde-haired girl, who are peeking from the side lines of their every story. Pretend that the side lines are where they belong. 

Pop joins them as he finishes his work and regales them with the tale of how he met his wife, even though Veronica has heard it at least a hundred times before. Gives them advice on love and life without being preachy. Tells them about the time, he found Veronica singing and dancing in the kitchen, thinking she was all alone. Tells them his early memories of Pop's, of Riverdale. Tells them tales of their parents in their rebellious teenage years. Makes all three of them burgers and milkshakes and bets that he could finish it quicker than Jughead. Laughs good naturedly when he loses. But soon, it's time for them to close the diner and walk home. 

"Text me as soon as you reach home, okay?" Pop says, looking at Veronica, his voice serious.  
"When do I not, Pop? I'll text you the second I reach." Veronica assures him, squeezing his arm. "And go home safe too."  
"Come on then, I'll walk you home." Jughead says as they watch Pop disappear around the corner. They argue for fifteen minutes until Veronica gives in. He's just as stubborn as she is and it's something Veronica is not used to. They walk home in silence and Veronica thinks she's going to lose her voice if she says one more word.   
"Thank you, Jughead." she says, as soon as they reach Pembrooke and gives him a warm smile.  
"No problem." he says, smiling back at her.  
"Wait. Are you going home?" she asks, crossing her arms.   
"Well, it'd be too awkward after the you-know-what. I thought I could hole up in the bunker. You know, the secret one." he says, gesturing vaguely.   
"What? No way. What if the tape guy murders you on the way? I'm not living with that on my conscience. You could crash in our guest bedroom." she says, dragging him by his arm, down the hallway.   
"It's fine. I'll just go. I'll be safe. Besides, your father tried to kill me, Veronica. It's going to be awkward." he says, trying to escape her grip.  
"I'm sure it's all water under the bridge." she says, not sounding so sure herself, but glares at him anyway and enters her apartment, pulling him behind her.  
"You're losing, Mr. Lodge." Hermione says, grinning at Hiram, looking up from their game of chess.  
"To you, always." he says, winking at her.  
"Wow. I'll just pretend I never heard any of that." Veronica says, grimacing.  
"Mija. When did you come in?" Hiram says, looking up at her, surprised and even surprised to find Jughead behind her.  
"Just now. I was wondering if Jughead could crash the night here. Please." she says, looking at her parents.  
"Fine. In the guest bedroom." Hiram says, rolling his eyes and turns to Jughead. "And no funny business, Jones."  
"Oh my god, daddy." Veronica says, rolling her eyes.  
"Wouldn't dream of it, Mr. Lodge." Jughead says, solemnly.  
"Is there a reason for Jughead spending the night, mija?" Hermione asks and Veronica is saved from answering by the doorbell.

"Veronica." Cheryl says and wraps her in a hug, holding her tightly as though it'd kill her if she lets go. "We came as soon as we heard. I am so sorry. Truly."  
"Thanks, Cheryl." she says, as Cheryl lets go of her and sees Toni and Fangs holding on to Jughead tightly and laughs at her parents' identical expressions of shock and disbelief.  
"So, we brought over some ungodly amounts of chocolate, some sappy rom-com's and some cringy horror movies. We didn't know which genre you prefer." Cheryl says, grinning.  
"Thank you for letting us in, Mr. Lodge." Kevin says, smiling at her father.  
"We'll talk about this in the morning, daddy." Veronica says, cutting her father's potentially rude remark off with a smile and herds the crowd into her bedroom, physically pushing all five of them.  
"How did you find out?" she asks, closing the door behind her.  
"Oh. You-know-who told Kevin, who told Fangs, who told Toni, who told me." Cheryl says and Veronica hugs her again, burying her head in Cheryl's shoulder.  
"Thank you." she says and Cheryl strokes her hair.   
"Veronica, I'm on your side. I want you to know that." Kevin says, smiling and hugs her, tightly.  
"So am I." Fangs says and squeezes her hand.  
"Thank you." she says and brushes a tear away. She looks at Toni who's hugging Jughead, his head pressed against her shoulder and her hands running through his hair, comfortingly.  
"Don't cry, Veronica. We got this." Kevin says, his hands on her shoulders. "That's my girl."  
"So, which one do you want to see first?" Cheryl asks, kneeling down in front of the DVD player and gestures to a stack of CDs in her hand.  
"Wow. Each one's shittier than the other." Jughead says, grimacing at the collection and Cheryl punches his arm.  
"I'll order pizza." Toni says, taking out her phone.  
"I'll make some popcorn." Fangs says and stalks out of her room.

They finally decide on some Christmas movie and get bored halfway through, so much that Cheryl throws her popcorn at the screen. She convinces Veronica to steal her father's alcohol and after two beers and five slices of pizza each, they start a horror movie. This one, they can't watch even for ten minutes with Veronica and Jughead pointing out all the logical flaws in the movie and booing whenever the lead characters make a stupid decision. And that's how, they end up playing Never have I ever, which somehow morphs into a game of Truth or Dare after the initial twenty minutes. Toni then talks them into a game of Monopoly and within the next half an hour, Fangs accuses Jughead of cheating, who rolls his eyes and denies it vehemently. And, in the meantime, someone sneakily flips their board over and Veronica suspects it's Kevin. Then, they do face masks and manicures, with Jughead grumbling for every second of it. Then, it's Cheryl who announces that she wants some ice cream and that's how they end up, squeezed in Kevin's car, with Fangs sitting on Toni's lap, on their way to an ice cream parlour, at the edge of their town, with Jughead telling Kevin that they are lost every five minutes and Kevin swearing he knows the route like the back of his hand. Finally, they end up at said ice cream parlour and what starts as a small bet between Veronica and Kevin on who could eat more ice-cream ends up with all six of them downing five scoops of each ice-cream each. 

"Do you like think we could die from eating too much ice cream?" Fangs mumbles, as they reach Pembrooke.  
"Probably, yeah. But, I mean, wow, what a way to go." Jughead says, stepping out of the car, only to be greeted promptly with Fangs throwing up on his shoes.  
"Ew. Pathetic." Cheryl says, getting out of the car and watches them with a bored expression, leaning against the car.  
"Kevin. Get your boyfriend under control." Jughead says, looking at Kevin helplessly.  
"Well, I mean, you two have been friends longer." Kevin says and goes to sit at the top of the stairs.  
"Veronica, please." Jughead says, trying to shake Fangs off from his shoulder where the latter has fallen asleep.  
"I'll bring some water." she says, making a face at his shoes.  
"Thanks." he says, relief flooding his face and Veronica returns quickly with a jug of water.  
"It's fine. I'll just- I'll do it." he says, grabbing the jug from her and pours it over his shoes.  
"Wow. A jug for Jug." Toni says and the four of them with the exception of Jughead and Fangs start cracking up. Veronica clutches her stomach in pain and buries her face in Kevin's shoulder.  
"It's not that funny. Please keep your voices down." Jughead pleads, looking from Cheryl to Toni to Veronica to Kevin. "You're waking everyone up. Please, stop laughing."  
"Yeah. Yeah. We should probably get inside." Toni says, wiping her eyes and helps Jughead drag Fangs into Veronica's apartment.  
"The last room on the left." she whispers to Toni, closing the door behind her and Toni nods at her.   
"I have to sleep too." Kevin says, rubbing his eyes and kisses Veronica's forehead. "Good night."  
"Come on." Cheryl says, kicking off her shoes and drags Veronica into her bedroom.   
"You should sleep too. You don't mind sharing a bed with us, do you? “she asks, looking at Veronica.  
"No." Veronica says and crashes into her bed.  
"Jughead is sharing with Kevin and Fangs." Toni says, crashing beside Cheryl. “God, I almost forgot what it felt like."  
"What felt like?" Veronica asks, looking at the ceiling.  
"Being a teenager." Toni says and Cheryl takes Toni's hand in hers.  
"I know I said it, already. But truly, thank you, guys." Veronica says, her voice cracking.   
"Hey, what are friends for?" Cheryl says, poking her in the arm. "Today was great. I don't think I'll forget today for the rest of my life."  
"Me neither." Veronica says, smiling.  
"Me too. Me neither. Me neither too. Or whatever. I'm going to sleep" Toni says and closes her eyes, pulling Veronica's comforter over her.  
"Cheryl." Veronica says, softly.  
"If you thank me again. I swear I'll murder you. Go off to sleep." Cheryl says.  
"Sorry." Veronica says and drifts off to sleep, the smile refusing to leave her face.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first work for the Riverdale fandom. Hope, it was okay. Thank you for reading it through!!!


End file.
